The following was contributed to Miss604.com by Jodi McIsaac Martens. One of the best things about raising a family in Vancouver is that our mild climate lets us get out and enjoy nature pretty much year-round. And there is no shortage of places to go! With over 150 parks in the City of Vancouver alone […]

BC Parks is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year while it is also the 100th anniversary of Parks Canada in 2011. Although Banff National Park is 125 years old, Parks Canada was officially established in 1911 and was the first national park service in the world. In BC, we have 7 National Parks. Glacier National […]

Today is the 100th anniversary of BC Parks, upon creation of the first provincial park, Vancouver Island’s Strathcona Provincial Park. Throughout the rest of the year, BC Parks is hosting events across the province, from family snowshoe outings to bird watching, star-gazing, and learning to cave. Growing up in the Lower Mainland, exploring BC parks […]

Over the last ten years or so, Beaver Lake in Stanley Park has been slowly disappearing. While it is home to plenty of wildlife, from ducks to an actual beaver who has been chipping down trees over the years, it’s becoming boggy and overgrown. Skunk cabbage and lily pads cover mud patches which, during the […]

It’s too hard to resist a stroll in the sunshine when the clouds part over Metro Vancouver which is why there were so many families, joggers, dog-walkers, cyclists, and bird watchers along the Traboulay PoCo Trail this past weekend. How to get there The three main entrance points for the trail are through Gates Park, […]

Most parks in Vancouver are named after former Parks Board members or royalty – but not Emery Barnes Park in Yaletown. The grass, stone walkways, water features and new playground on Davie is named after a man born in New Orleans in 1929 who made his way to Canada, into BC Provincial Legislature and is […]

Jumping between mud puddles and crunchy multicoloured leaves on the forest floor, Fall is my favourite time of year to enjoy the trails and scenery of our local parks. It’s not too late to leaf peep around Metro Vancouver as lush green leaves slowly turn to fiery orange on rain-soaked branches. One of the best […]

Metro Vancouver recently released an iPhone application to feature its 22 regional parks. Since I have been profiling Metro Vancouver Parks for a few years now (city, regional, or provincially-run) I thought it would be worth checking out. Parks managed by the region range from Bowen Island and Lynn Headwaters to Aldergrove Lake and the […]

This week’s park series profile features Confederation Park in Burnaby, a hidden gem that is full of facilities and activities for families. How to get there Head north on Willingdon from Hastings to find the park located at 240 Willingdon Avenue. You can take the C1 community shuttle from Kootenay Loop to get there by […]

Wanting to add a few parks to my series this fall, I sent out a Tweet yesterday asking for some recommendations. @JDLaidlaw responded, “@Miss604 Have you ever been out to Renfrew Ravine? Pretty awesome and they have a lantern festival coming up!” Having never ever heard of the Renfrew Ravine, I thought it would be […]